Brian Blase, Theo Merkel, and Joe Grogan referenced in Axios – July 17, 2024

On July 17, 2024, Paragon’s Brian Blase, Theo Merkel, and Paragon Public Advisor Joe Grogan were identified as key healthcare influences in Axios.

From the article:

Here’s whom to watch for health care policy roles in a second Trump administration — and who could help shape the advance planning as the general election gets underway.

Brian Blase, president, Paragon Health Institute

He’s a former health policy staffer in the Trump White House, where he served as special assistant to the president for economic policy.

• Paragon has been putting out papers on a range of health policy ideas that could be implemented in a second Trump term, including site-neutral payments and Medicare Advantage overhauls.

Theo Merkel, director of the private health reform initiative at Paragon

He was a special assistant to the president for economic policy following Blase, at the National Economic Council at the White House under Trump.

• In that role, he worked on Trump’s health care transparency executive order.
• Previously, he worked for Sen. Pat Toomey, including as legislative director.

Joe Grogan, senior fellow, USC Schaeffer Center

He served as director of the Domestic Policy Council in the White House under Trump.

• He was heavily involved in drug pricing policy while in the White House, including talks with then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office, though the White House ended up distancing itself from the Democratic measure.

The full article can be found in Axios.